Tutu Be Loved
by kaerfemina
Summary: Its been a couple months since the raven was defeated and Ahiru notices Fakir drifting away. What does it mean? What about her instinct to fly south for the winter? FxA
1. The Drawing

A/N: Here's another story that's been rolling around in my head and wouldn't let me go. I swear my muse must have ADD because it bounces me from idea to idea to idea. I have so many stories up in the air, I'm afraid I'll drop the ball somewhere. Anyway... So here you go! Please enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Princess Tutu. But I absolutely, positively want to learn to dance like her!

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><p>The Drawing<p>

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><p>Summer was nearing its close and autumn loomed ahead. The days were getting shorter, the temperatures cooler. And Ahiru could feel the southern pull, her instincts urging her to take wing in that direction. But she couldn't leave Fakir. Not after the promise he made to always be by her side. He still went with her every day down to the pond to watch her swim and to write his stories. However, Ahiru felt as if the closeness they once shared was slipping away. These last few weeks she felt him grow more and more distant and she couldn't figure out why. Today however, was the first day he had ignored her completely. Yes, he had still come with her to the pond, but he hadn't spoken a word to her, watched her swim about or thrown little scraps of bread for her to chase.<p>

She sat among a group of cattails in the shallows by the shore and observed her companion. He sat at the end of the small dock with his lap desk propped on his knees, his right hand scratching the feather quill delicately, almost lovingly, across the paper. His legs dangled off the edge of the pier and his bare feet hung a few inches into the water to cool himself in the heat of the late summer day. Suddenly, Ahiru had a brilliant idea. She would _make_ Fakir notice her.

So, ruffling her tail feathers and taking a deep breath, she plunged under the shimmering surface of the pond. She swam underwater to the dock where his feet suspended. She came right up to them and ran the long, lone feather that sprang from her forehead down the sole of his left foot.

Fakir jerked his feet out of the water when he felt something run the length of his foot. But this upset his lap desk and the papers on it scattered, floating down to the water. He looked down in time to see Ahiru surface. Her quacks could only be described as laughing. "Ahiru! You moron! Why did you do that? Look what you made me do! Now all of those papers are ruined!" He shouted at her angrily.

"Qua-quack-ack. (Not this one)" she replied pulling off a page that got stuck to one of the damp posts holding the dock up. As it fell away from the post, out of the shadow of the dock and into the afternoon sun, she saw that it wasn't writing at all. It was a drawing. Since when had Fakir taken up art? But as soon as this thought crossed her mind she recognized the image on the page. It was her… as a human.

She stared at her human face as it stared back out at her. The girl on the paper was wearing a happy smile. Did Fakir not like her as a duck? Did he wish she were human again? Even though it was no longer possible that she could be? Is this why they were drifting apart? Was he coming to resent the form she now was in? Ahiru's bright blue eyes filled with tears.

As Ahiru thought these things she drifted into the shadow of the dock. "Ahiru?" Fakir asked getting down on his hands and knees to peer down at her. "What are you doing?" She looked up at him and he was taken aback by the tears that flowed from her eyes. Alarmed now, he demands, "What's wrong?"

The concern in his eyes broke her heart. She was sure it wasn't concern for Ahiru the duck but for the girl she could never be again. _I should leave so I don't bother him with painful memories of the old me_. She thought. So she quacked out a sob, dropped the drawing and raced for the opposite shore as fast as she could.

"Ah! Ahiru! Wait! What-!" but Fakir's cries were cut off when the paper she was looking at floated out where he could see it. It hadn't completely absorbed water yet and the drawing was still visible. His eyes widened and he reached down and plucked it out of the pond. "Oh, Ahiru. I'm so sorry" he whispered looking up to see her disappear into the cattails on the far side of the pond.

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><p>AN: I know. I'm sorry it's so short. But It's really just an intro chapter. I hope you understand. Please read & review! I'd like to know what you thought of it. I have a vague idea of what I want to have happen but I'm always open to suggestions!

kaerfemina


	2. The Lake

A/N: Hey! Would you look at that, I updated only a day later! I'm on a roll. Let's hope it stays like this. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Princess Tutu but I stole Fakir and I keep him in my closet. SHHH! Don't tell anyone!

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><p>Fakir trudged into his room, dropped all his stuff on his desk and flopped facedown on the bed. He screwed up royally. He never meant for Ahiru to see the drawing he made. He knew it would upset her. She liked being a girl and for her to have a reminder that she would never be one again must have been painful. No wonder she was crying.<p>

But he had to draw it. He had to remember. Everyone else in Kinkan Town had forgotten her. He had already forgotten the sound of her voice, the tinkle of her laugh. He just _couldn't_ forget her face. So he drew it. For the past few weeks he spent non-stop time perfecting the drawing, scrapping the mistakes and starting over until he got it just right. He isn't much of an artist but he just _had_ to try. And today it was almost perfect so he spent the entire day focusing only on the picture in his head and transferring it onto the page. And just when he was putting the finishing touches on the shading, Ahiru startled him with her stunt and sent the drawing into the water, or so he thought. He was so angry that he lost the picture he had worked so hard to perfect that he yelled at her. But it wasn't ruined as he had thought. She saw it and cried.

He sighed and rolled over to look at his desk. There, on top of everything, was the drawing of Ahiru. There was only a slight amount of water damage so it was completely intact except for some ink streaking toward the edges of the page. He got up, walked over and picked it up. The drawing was perfect. Every line was where it was supposed to be to depict the girl smiling out at him from the page. But at what cost? This same girl, who is now a duck, is not here and he couldn't find her even after hours of searching. Sighing again, he stuffed the crinkled paper into a drawer and shut it.

A knock sounded on his door and his adoptive father entered. "Dinner's ready, Fakir."

"Okay,"

Charon surveyed the room. "Where's Ahiru?" Charon, like everyone else in Kinkan Town, had forgotten about everything that had happened concerning Mytho's heart shards and the raven. When the magic of the story vanished, so did everyone's memory of it. Only Fakir, who possessed the same power as Drosselmeyer, remembered. Charon only knew Ahiru as his son's pet duck.

"Gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"She ran off and I couldn't find her."

The tone of his son's voice finally registered. He sounded depressed. "Don't worry, Fakir. You'll find her. Or she'll come back. You want me to help you look for her?" Fakir shook his head. "Alright. Let's go eat dinner and after, you can go look for her some more before bed."

Fakir nodded miserably and followed his father downstairs.

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><p>Ahiru was sitting in the shallow waters of a small lake just outside Kinkan Town on the opposite end of where Fakir lived, surrounded by all sorts of waterfowl. There were ducks, geese, a few magnificent swans, and a couple cranes. She felt so out of place. She'd been living with humans so long she forgot how it felt to be a wild duck. She paddled around, dunking her head and munching on the grass-like plants that grew beneath her webbed feet. They tasted all right, but they were by no means as tasty as the feed Charon buys for her. <em>I miss home<em> she thought, sighing. But she couldn't go back not when the memory of her would cause Fakir pain. So she would endure so Fakir could be happy.

"Ahiru!" She heard someone call her name. All the birds around her flew to the opposite side of the lake, away from the sound. "Ahiru! Where are you?"

As the voice grew nearer, she recognized it as Fakir's. She drifted into deeper waters but stayed close to shore to wait for him to appear.

"Come on, moron! Just come home already! All right? Ahiru!" As he called this, he crashed through the underbrush and nearly toppled into the lake. It was kind of funny to watch him be clumsy for a change. He looked up and spotted her floating in the middle of the water, bathed in moonlight. Relief swept over him. "Ahiru! Thank God! I finally found you!" He splashed into the water and waded towards her, ignoring the fact that he was getting soaked. "Come on, let's go home."

Ahiru drifted further away from him and shook her head.

"Don't be stupid, moron. Let's go!" He waded further until the water nearly reached his waist.

"Quack! (No!)" And she flew across to where the rest of the birds were sitting.

Among her own kind, Fakir couldn't tell which duck was Ahiru. "Fine! Stay out here and _freeze_!" he yelled across to her. Turning away, he left for home. _At least I know where she is. I'll convince her to come home tomorrow, when I've had a chance to sleep on it,_ he thought gloomily.

When he was gone and she turned back around, she noticed that all the rest of the birds seemed to be turning in for the night. She was one of the last still in the water. So she climbed out but there was nowhere for her to sleep. All the good places were already claimed by other birds. So after searching for a place for a long while, she found a very uncomfortable clump of old, dead leaves and climbed in. The leaves were damp and they didn't provide much protection from the wind. She shivered. It _was_ cold. She missed her little bed at home. A little wooden box, lined with fluffy blankets that Fakir placed on the hearth in the kitchen to keep her warm. She sighed. It really was no use for her to think about these things, she was never going back. She looked up at the sky and thought, _why must life be so hard? …And painful_? Suddenly, a brilliant falling star flashed across the sky. Ahiru gasped, closed her eyes tight and wished, _if it would make Fakir happy, I wish I could be a girl again._

The falling star suddenly veered off course and came flying straight toward her!

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><p>Fakir entered his room and walked to the window. He can just barely make out the little lake in the distance as it reflected the moon's light. <em>I haven't forgotten my promise to you, Ahiru. <em>He thought. _Why won't you just come home?_

He looked up just in time to see the falling star streak through the night. He placed a hand on the windowpane and fervently made a wish. _If it would make Ahiru happy, I wish she could be a girl again._

And as soon as the thought entered his head, the star swerved off track and crashed straight into the lake. Eyes wide, he cried, "AHIRU!" and rushed back out into the night.

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><p>AN: Okay, so this one is a little longer but not as long as I like to make my chapters. But I had to cut it off here. I'm starting on chapter three right away so hopefully it won't take too long before the next update. So what'd you think? Please read and review and let me know!

kaerfemina


	3. The Pendant

A/N: Yay! Another update! I really _am_ on a roll! I think this is the most often I've updated like ever! Well, here it is! Please enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Princess Tutu. If I did, why would I be writing fanfiction?

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><p>Ahiru stared transfixed as the blindingly bright ball of light came whizzing right at her. Before she could even blink, the shooting star streaked into the lake, but the water didn't react to the impact. The moment the star landed, the area flooded with a most intense light causing Ahiru to shut her eyes. All the other birds flew away in terror.<p>

When the light subsided and Ahiru opened her eyes again, the whole lake glowed ethereally and standing in the center on the surface of the water was a ghostly image of a beautiful young woman. She had very fair skin and long, pure white hair that pooled around her feet. When she looked up at Ahiru, her eyes were a soft gray, the shade so light it was almost white. She wore an old fashioned tutu, the ones that were made of heavy fabric and fell to the ankles, and was as white as her hair. Spellbound, Ahiru stumbled down into the water and swam out to her.

"_Hello, Ahiru_" the young woman said. The woman's mouth did not open when she spoke. Her voice was heard only in Ahiru's mind.

_Who are you_? Ahiru responded inside her head, since as a duck, she couldn't speak out loud.

"_I am called Megumi and I have been sent to grant your wish._"

Ahiru's eyes widened. _You're here to make me a girl again_?

Megumi nodded and held out her hand. Resting on her palm was a delicate silver chain, hanging from which was a very interesting stone pendant. It was pitch black but surprisingly clear like black glass, and hidden in the depths of the stone were tiny points of light so that the stone looked like a tiny piece of the night sky was trapped within it.

_That stone will make me human again_?

"_Yes. For as long as you wear it you will be just like any other girl. However, should you ever take it off, you will revert to your true form._"

Ahiru nodded. _I understand_. So Megumi reached down and placed the pendant around her little ducky neck and suddenly, she was gone. Ahiru looked around but the young woman had vanished, her task complete.

Then the stone began to glow and in a flash of brilliant white light, Ahiru changed into her human self… and fell naked into the lake.

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><p>"Ahiru! Ahiru!" Fakir cried as he ran through the trees, frantically trying to reach the lake. He had no idea what he would find when he got there. He desperately hoped she would be all right.<p>

All but blind in the darkness of the woods at night, he stumbled over almost every root and nearly fell on his face quite a few times. Suddenly, the forest was lit up with a radiant light and he was able to push himself faster. "Ahiru!" He screamed.

Finally, he lurched through the underbrush around the lake and into the moonlight. He immediately stopped in his tracks at what he saw before him. Ahiru was standing up in the shallows a few yards ahead of him… and she was _human_. Dripping wet, she began to wring out her long, auburn hair. She had yet to notice him.

As the shock of seeing her as a girl again faded, he realized that she wasn't wearing anything. His face flushed deep red and he quickly turned away. He hastily stripped off his shirt and held it out to her. "Ahiru, cover yourself."

Ahiru jumped when he suddenly spoke. She looked up to see Fakir turned away holding out his shirt to her. Even in the dim moonlight she could tell his skin was flushed in embarrassment. Looking back down at herself and realizing he just saw her in the buff, she blushed scarlet and snatched his shirt from him. She hurriedly shoved it over her head and pulled it down into place. It was long enough that it could pass as a dress. The bottom hem almost reached her knees. "Thank you, Fakir," she laughed, scratching the back of her head nervously.

Fakir turned back to her with a strange emotion in his eyes. After a moment, Ahiru realized it was awe. Finally, after staring at her for over a minute, he said, "How? How are you human again, Ahiru?"

She pulled the pendant out from under Fakir's shirt. "Megumi gave me this pendant. It has the same power as Mytho's last heart shard."

"Megumi? Who's Megumi?"

Shrugging she replied, "I made a wish on a shooting star and she came and granted it."

Fakir's eyes widened. "You wished to be human again? On a falling star?" The girl nodded. _We made the same wish on the same star. Is that the only reason why it came true_? "Come on, its getting cold. Let's go home."

Ahiru nodded. She was shivering, huddled in Fakir shirt, and her hair was still dripping. Fakir was shivering too. Giving up his shirt and having damp pants didn't help to keep him warm. So they turned and walked back into town.

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><p>When they got home, Charon was waiting in the kitchen. "Who's this?" he asked Fakir.<p>

"Oh. Um, this is Ahiru." Fakir said awkwardly.

Charon looked confused. "Ahiru? But Ahiru is a duck."

"Yes!" Ahiru responded enthusiastically. "I _was_ a duck. But now I'm a girl!" she saw the skepticism in the man's face. So she pulled the chain from her neck and held it out to Fakir. "Would you hold this for me?" Fakir nodded and the second the pendant left her hand, there was a flash of light and then Ahiru the duck stood before them.

"Oh my God! That's incredible! If I didn't see it myself I never would've believed it."

Ahiru nodded. She looked up at Fakir then pointedly at the necklace in his hand. "Quack!"

"Oh. Here." Fakir knelt down and held out his hand.

As soon as her bill closed around the chain, the stone glowed. Fakir's eyes widened and he fled the room. And a split second later, Ahiru stood nude in the kitchen. "Eep!" and she scrambled to get Fakir's shirt back on.

Charon laughed. "Well _that's_ inconvenient."

"Yeah well, I can't help it. That's how the pendant works." She responded, clasping the necklace around her neck again. She looked at him, suddenly suspicious. "You didn't _see_ anything, did you?"

"Don't worry, Sweetheart. Your back was to me. I saw nothing but the back of your pretty auburn head."

"Good."

Just then, Fakir poked his head back into the room. "I'm going to bed now, Charon."

"Oh. Good night then. Would you show Ahiru to the guest room?"

"She knows where it is."

"Actually, I'm a little hungry. Could I have something to eat before I go to bed?"

"Certainly! What would you like?" Charon said turning to prepare her something as Fakir turned and went upstairs to his room.

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><p>An hour later, when the house was quiet, Fakir lay staring at his ceiling. He never thought he would see Ahiru as a girl again. This was a miracle. However, he knew that magic was involved, and whenever there is magic in Kinkan Town there are consequences to that magic. What horribly awful things will they have to endure for this magic?<p>

Suddenly, his room was filled with a soft white glow. He looked over and there stood the apparition of Megumi. "_Hello, Fakir._"

He sat straight up. "Who're you?"

"_I am called Megumi._"

Fakir's eyes widened. "You gave Ahiru the necklace!" Megumi nodded. "Why are you here?"

"_I am the spirit of the shooting star. Both you and Ahiru made the same wish upon me. Wishes are not very powerful magic but when you both wished so fervently upon me with the same wish, the power was strong enough to awaken me. So I came and granted your wish._"

"But why are you _here_, in my room?"

"_I have come to warn you. All magic has consequence and Ahiru's pendant is a very strong magic._"

"I knew that already. What negative effects are we looking at?"

"_A shadow moves in the darkness. I cannot see…I do not know what the future holds. You must be ready._"

"Ready for what?" But it was too late. She had already vanished. "Ready for _what_?" he screamed into the sudden darkness of his room.

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><p>AN: That's it for the 3rd chapter! Stay tuned! Hopefully the next one will be up soon. Please read & review!

kaerfemina


	4. The Warning

A/N: Sorry about the wait. I'm having computer issues so most of this was typed on my phone (which took FOREVER! DX). My phone doesn't have a good spell checker so please excuse any mistakes. So, I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Princess Tutu. I'm not that smart.

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><p>Miles and miles away, sinister, dark yellow eyes glared out of the darkness. "<strong>I sense a powerful magic. I can feel the tingle of it in my spine. I must devour it.<strong>"

Another pair of yellow eyes glint in the gloom. "Shall I find it for you, Master?"

"**Yes. Find it and bring it to me so I may consume it.**"

"As you wish, Master."

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><p>The next morning, Fakir was awakened by a loud commotion downstairs. When he entered the kitchen, he found Ahiru covered from head to toe with eggs, flour, milk and other foodstuffs. The room was a wreck.<p>

"Ahiru, what are you doing?"

She started and slopped more of the sticky goo in the mixing bowl down her shirt. She laughed nervously. "Well, I was _trying_ to make breakfast. I'm not very good at it."

"That's because you're so clumsy. Why didn't you ask for help, moron?" Without waiting for a response, he walked over to the stove to salvage whatever it was she was cooking.

As he pushed past her, she replied, "I didn't want to wake you." She licked some sugar off one of her fingers and grimaced when she realized it was really salt.

When he looked into the pan, the pancake frying there was perfect. She may have turned the kitchen into a disaster area but she _could_ cook. So he just flipped the pancake onto a plate, turned to her and said, "Thanks, Ahiru. This looks delicious."

Her face immediately flushed at the compliment. "You're welcome." Embarrassed, she turned away and poured more batter into the pan.

Fakir moved to the table and poured syrup over his pancake. Looking up and watching Ahiru make more of a mess as she cooked, he finally noticed what she was wearing. It was one of Charon's old work shirts and it was humongous on her. "We need to get you some clothes. You can't keep wearing our hand-me-downs."

Ahiru looked down at the gooey shirt. It hung off of her oddly, since she was so small and it was so big. But she just shrugged. "Why not? This is comfortable and it covers me well enough."

Fakir eyed her skeptically. "Don't you want pretty girly clothes?"

"Of course I do." She said, carrying another pancake over to the table. "I just don't want to inconvenience you."

"Its not a problem, Ahiru. You need your own clothes. We'll go into town after breakfast."

"Okay." She answered looking down at her pancake as she poured syrup over it.

With that said and done, Fakir took the first bite of his breakfast. The pancake was light, fluffy and buttery. It melted on his tongue and the flavor was heaven. Without even realizing he did it, he hummed out his approval. "Mmmmm,"

Ahiru looked at him, her eyes shining with happiness. "You like it?"

Fakir's cheeks warmed over his sudden lack of self-control. Clearing his throat he replied, "Um, yes. Its good, Ahiru."

She smiled brightly at him and his heart stuttered at the expression. "I'm so glad." With that she dug into her own breakfast.

Fakir ate quietly, enjoying the melt-in-your-mouth goodness, as he tried to figure out the reason behind his reaction to her happiness; why there was a blossoming warmth in his chest whenever he saw her smile.

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><p>"Wow! Look at those!" Ahiru cried running towards a store. Fakir followed, loaded down with shopping bags. There, in the storefront window, were beautiful white satin toe shoes. "You know, when I was Tutu I could dance point without even thinking about it." She lifted herself up on her Tipp toes and twirled. "Maybe I should take classes again at the academy. I did love to dance. What do you think?"<p>

"You're free to do anything you want, Ahiru. But you're not Tutu anymore. You'll have to work hard." Fakir answered shifting the bags to get a better grip on them.

She put her hands on her hips. "You think I can't work hard? I can work hard. I just had a lot of things on my mind last time and my dancing suffered for it. Now I don't have to worry about Mytho's heart or the raven. I can concentrate completely on dancing."

"If you say so, moron," he teased.

She stuck her tongue out and turned to enter the store. "I'm going to buy a new leotard and slippers."

Fakir sighed and followed her inside. He watched as she exclaimed over much of the merchandise in the shop and finally she found things she wanted- soft white tights and a dusty pink leotard with matching ballet slippers- and tried them on. She stepped out of the dressing room, stood in front of the mirrors and twisted about looking at how it fit. "How do I look, Fakir?" she asked.

_Beautiful_. Fakir surprised even himself when this thought came automatically. Shaking himself mentally, he replied, "It fits fine. Are you buying it or not?"

She pursed her lips, which of course caused Fakir to focus on the cute little pucker, and glared. "Yes. I like it, so I'm getting it."

"Fine then. Let's get it and get out of here." He replied in a sort of daze as he watched her puckered lips turn down into a frown. Then her little pink tongue stuck out again causing his heart to leap in his chest. So as Ahiru went back in the dressing room, Fakir pondered his reaction and wondered over his fixation on her mouth. "I wonder if there's something wrong with me," he murmured.

"Something wrong with you? Are you getting sick?" And suddenly, Ahiru's bright blue eyes were inches from his and her hand was pressed to his forehead. His face immediately went tomato red and his heart sped into overdrive at her proximity. His mouth went dry as his eyes focused on her soft, petal lips when they opened to speak. "Oh, you feel a bit warm and your face is flushed. Maybe we should go home now so you can rest. Here, let me carry some of the bags-"

"N-no. I'm fine. I can do it," he replied stumbling away. When he reached a comfortable distance from her, coherency returned. What was wrong with him? This was Ahiru, the same Ahiru he has shared his house with for months! Granted, she was a duck at the time and not the pretty girl she was right now, but still the same Ahiru. He regarded her carefully. She was lovely in the outfit they bought in the first store they stopped at this morning- a pretty sky blue sundress that brought out her eyes with a pastel yellow three-quarter-sleeve cardigan and white sandals. She stared back at him worriedly. So he heaved a sigh. "Fine, we'll go home now. Go buy your stuff and let's go."

She nodded and rushed over to the sales lady behind the counter.

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><p>When they returned home, Ahiru insisted that he take it easy, so he went to take a nap in his room. Soon after falling asleep though, a frantic voice sounded in his head.<p>

"_Wake up_!"

He sat up rubbing his eyes. "Megumi? What are you doing here?"

The ghostly young woman hovered beside his bed. "_Fakir, you must listen to me!_"

When he heard the urgency of her words, he finally noticed the panicked expression on her face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"_A servant of the shadow is closing in. It is time for the knight to lay aside his pen and take up his sword once more. You must protect the one who is most precious to you!_"

"A servant of the shadow? Who is this 'shadow?'"

"_I can't see. I don't know. Be ready, Fakir. You must be ready._" And again she was gone.

"What? How? I don't even know what I'm preparing for!"

After a few moments, a timid voice called through his door. "Fakir? Are you all right? I heard you shouting." The door opened and Ahiru stood in the doorway.

"I'm fine, Ahiru. Just a bad dream." He stands up. "I have to go." And he walks past her and down the stairs.

"Wait! If you're getting sick, you should stay in bed!" she said, quickly following.

"No. I'm not getting sick. I'm fine. I just need to check on something. I'll be back in time for dinner." With that, he was out the door, leaving behind a very confused Ahiru standing on the stairs.

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><p>"Autor! Open up!" Fakir called, banging on his cousin's front door.<p>

The door suddenly swung open and he almost fell in. "What do you want, Fakir?" Autor's cold voice asked.

"I need your help."

"My help? What does the great heir of Drosselmeyer need my help for?" the glasses clad boy said sourly.

"It's not my fault I have this great power and you don't. I never asked for it. If I could give it to you, I would. But I still need your help."

Autor's eyes narrowed. "What is it?" He stepped aside to allow Fakir entrance into his home.

Fakir walked inside. "I know you've probably read every book in the library so I need your knowledge."

Autor puffed out his chest in pride. He _had_ read every book in the library and that was _thousands_ of books. "What do you need?"

"Have you ever come across the phrase 'shadow in the darkness'? What do you know about it?"

"I can't say that I've encountered that _particular _phrase, but I have read about the _ruler_ of darkness who is in the _form_ of a shadow."

Fakir's eyes widened at hearing this. "Tell me everything you know!"

"Goodness! Calm down." Autor pushed his glasses up his nose. "The ruler of darkness is a shadow creature that looks like a massive black wolf with yellow eyes. He seeks to devour powerful magic so he can assume a physical form. It is nearly impossible to kill him. The only known way is by the sword of light."

"Sword of light?"

"Yes. It's a mystical sword that can cut through darkness and shadow. Since the shadow creatures are made of the immaterial, you can't harm them by anything but this one weapon."

"You said creatures, as in there's more than one?"

"Well I would assume that the servants of the ruler would be shadow monsters as well."

"Great. Where can I find the sword?"

"I wouldn't know. It is only ever mentioned in one book. And all that I've told you is all that is written about it."

"I see," Fakir murmured as he thought over everything. "Alright. Thank you, Autor. You've been a great help."

"Aren't you going to tell me what this is about?"

"It would probably be safer for you if I didn't. Goodbye, Autor." And with that, he left.

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><p>AN: Tis the end. What'd you think? Drama is building! Also, Fakir is seeming to have a hard time identifying his feelings. Don't worry, romance is on the way! It always blossoms in the face of danger! Please read & review for me, okay? Please & thank you! MUAH!

kaerfemina


	5. The Sword

A/N: Hey! Look! A new chapter! I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Princess Tutu. But if I did, how different the ending would've been...

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><p>When Fakir got home, he went straight to his father's workshop. The man stood over a red-hot strip of metal that he was beating on an anvil. "Charon!" He called over the clanking of the hammer.<p>

Charon laid aside his work. "Hello, Fakir. What is it?"

"I was talking with Autor and he mentioned the sword of light and it sounded interesting but he didn't have much information on it and I was wondering if you knew anything about it." Fakir rambled out in a rush.

"The sword of light, huh? That takes me back. I haven't heard anything about it since my early days as a sword smith. The legendary sword rumored to be able to kill a demon."

"Yes, Autor mentioned that."

"Did he tell you that it was hidden somewhere around here, somewhere in the woods surrounding Kinkan Town? Supposedly the entrance of the place where it is hidden is only visible on the night of the full moon when its light is at its brightest." Charon looked at the calendar. "What a coincidence, tomorrow night is a full moon. Wouldn't it be incredible if we found it?"

Fakir nodded. "It would." And he would find it. He had to.

Charon clapped his hands together and said, "Now! What do you say we go and have some dinner, all right?"

"Sure." And he followed his father into the kitchen where Ahiru was just finishing setting the table.

She looked up. "Oh good. The stew's done. Sit down. I'll go get it."

Fakir looked around the kitchen as they sat. There was still a mess from when she cooked but she managed to concentrate it a single location around the stove.

She carried the pot over to the table and served them each a steaming bowl of fragrant stew. Charon stuck his nose over his bowl and sniffed appreciatively. "Mm. This smells wonderful, Ahiru."

"Thank you," she replied as she sat with her own bowl. "Oh! I forgot the rolls in the oven. Be right back." And she rushed over to the oven to pull out the bread. Seconds later, "OUCH!" The whole pan of rolls landed on the floor and Fakir was at her side in an instant.

"What's wrong?"

Ahiru was blowing on her right pinky, which was bright red. "I touched my finger to the inside wall of the stove when I pulled out the rolls."

"Let me see." When she held out her hand, he saw that her finger was already beginning to blister. "Come here." He sat her at the table and disappeared out into the hall. A moment later he returned with first aid supplies. He was used to dealing with burns. Charon got them frequently from working with hot metal in his workshop. He popped off the top of a white container and scooped out a small amount of white cream.

"What's that?" Ahiru asked.

"Burn ointment. Give me your hand."

She did as told but snatched it away the second he touched the burn. "Don't touch it! It hurts." She said pitifully.

"I have to touch it to put the ointment on. It will feel better and will heal faster so, give. Me. Your. Hand." He said sternly.

She whimpered as he rubbed the cream into the blistering skin but once it was rubbed in and he let go, the heat and pain of the burn was gone. "Wow, it doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Yeah, its some pretty good stuff." Charon smiled at her.

Fakir held out his hand. "Let me wrap your finger so you don't tear the blisters."

Once that was done, they returned to dinner. They saved the rolls from the floor and dug in. The stew was thick and creamy, the meat tender and flavorful. The vegetables were the perfect balance between firm and soft so they were neither crunchy nor mushy. The rolls were slightly sweet and went perfectly with the seasonings of the stew. When he finished, Fakir seriously considered licking the bowl. _Ahiru may be sloppy when she cooks but if all her food tastes this good, I wouldn't mind eating it for the rest of my life._

"Would you like some more, Fakir?" She asked noticing the longing in his eyes.

"Yes. It was very good."

"Just a moment." And she hopped up and ladled more stew into his bowl.

After eating so much he thought he might pop, he pushed back from the table. "I'm tired. I think I'll go get ready for bed now."

Ahiru smiled up at him as he stood. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ahiru. Thanks for dinner. It was excellent." He ruffled her hair as he passed. When he entered his room, Megumi was waiting for him. "Ugh, what do you want now? I already know what I have to do."

"_There is not enough time. The servant grows near._"

Fakir sighs. "But I can't use _my_ sword against it. I need the sword of light, and I can't find it until tomorrow night."

"_No. There is no time. You must find it tonight._"

"That's not possible. Tonight there isn't a full moon. Plus, I'm exhausted. I'll find it in the morning."

Megumi became irritated. "_You need it. The servant will be here soon. You do not have time._"

"But I don't know where it _is_!"

"_I do. I know the location of its hiding place._"

"That changes everything. Show me, let's go."

"_Good._" And she floated downstairs.

Fakir followed carefully. He heard his father and Ahiru cleaning up the kitchen from dinner, so as quietly as he could he slipped out into the night.

* * *

><p>"This is the hiding place? Seriously?" Fakir asked, staring in disbelief. They stood before a very old weeping willow. The tree sat beside a roaring waterfall. It's sweeping branches and leaves so long they brushed the forest floor and so thick that you couldn't see the trunk. The leaves nearest to the ground were just starting to yellow for the oncoming autumn. It all seemed so…ordinary. How could this be the hiding place of a mystical sword?<p>

"_Yes. This is it. Come._" And she passed through the curtain of leaves.

Fakir followed and once past the thick foliage, he saw that the old tree concealed the entrance to a cave in the cliff side. It led deep into the cliff behind the cascading water. "Oh. I see. But how could this be a good hiding place? Its just a cave."

"_This cave is a labyrinth that has had a protection spell cast on it. The stone passageways change daily. The only way to find the chamber the sword is kept in is to enter when the sword's glow will lead you._"

"The sword's glow?"

"_Yes. The sword glows only under the light of a full moon._"

"But how are we supposed to find it _now_? The full moon isn't until _tomorrow_."

Megumi smiled almost wickedly. "_I am an immaterial being. I can travel through walls. I will find the chamber and then return to lead you in._"

"Good plan. I'll wait here." He sat down on the willow's roots and watched her disappear into the cave. He waited for eighteen minutes before she reemerged.

"_Come._"

And so he followed her through the twisting tunnels, Megumi's ethereal glow the only source of light, until they came to a large cavity in the rock. And there, in the center of the large area, lay a very ordinary looking sword. He went over and picked it up. It was surprisingly light considering its size. And when he pulled it out of the sheath, the blade was beyond explanation. It flashed in the dim light as if under the brightest sun. He had no idea what it was made of but it was the most incredible weapon he had ever seen. He stared in awe for quite awhile until finally he slid it back into the scabbard, attached it to his hip and turned to leave. "Let's go." And Megumi led him back out to the willow tree. Once outside, she vanished once more. As he walked home, he thought, _I finally have what I need to protect you, Ahiru. I won't allow you to ever be hurt again._

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><p>The sun was just beginning to lighten the eastern horizon when a black wolf emerged at the lake just outside Kinkan Town. He sniffed around the area and howled in victory. "This is the origin of the magic. I will bring you your dinner soon, Master."<p>

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><p>AN: Oh no! The servant has arrived! Expect lots of action in the next chapter! And maybe some romance too ;)

kaerfemina


	6. The Kiss

A/N: A new chapter! I'm so excited about this one! Its pretty short, but oh so sweet. I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Princess Tutu. But this plot is mine. Mwahahahaha!

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><p>Fakir was awoken out of a sound sleep by an earsplitting howl of victory in the early hours of the morning. He leaped out of bed before he was even fully awake, pulled on the first clothes he touched, strapped his new sword to his hip and raced to Ahiru's room. What he found when he got there was confusing. She was lying in bed, fast asleep. How she could sleep through that racket was beyond him. It was still dark in her room but he could see that she was fine. When he had heard that howl, he was scared that the shadow monsters had found her but here she was, completely safe.<p>

He heaved a sigh of relief and crossed to her window. Looking out, he saw the pond they used to go to everyday when Ahiru was a duck. And suddenly it struck him. The monster must have found the lake! That's where Megumi gave Ahiru the pendant, so that would be where the magic starts. The shadow creature would be here any moment.

He rushed to Ahiru's bedside. "Ahiru! Wake up!"

"Huh? Fakir? What's wrong?"

"A monster is after you. We have to get you out of here! Get dressed. I'll be waiting in the hall. Hurry!" And he rushed back out of the room before she could respond.

He stood on the other side of the door for just under two minutes before the door opened again. Ahiru stepped out in sturdy clothes meant for traveling. As soon as she appeared, he grabbed her hand and led her downstairs and towards the front door. "What's going on, Fakir? What do you mean, 'a monster is after me?' Where are we going?" she asked frantically as he pulled her into the cool, grey predawn twilight.

"The monster wants the magic of your pendant. Come on, we have to _move_!" He was feeling panicky in the dim light. Everything was shadow and seeing as they were running _from_ a shadow right now, it was making him jumpy.

They made it halfway to the town wall when they heard an angry animal sound from somewhere behind them. Fakir clamped his hand down tighter on Ahiru's.

"What was that?" Ahiru threw a frightened look over her shoulder as she stumbled after the worried knight. "Ouch! You're hurting me!"

Fakir had been unknowingly squeezing her hand tighter and tighter as he desperately searched for a safe place to hide her. "Sorry." He loosened his grip but didn't let go. "The creature must have gotten to the house and found it empty."

"But Charon-"

"Its not after Charon. He'll be fine." Suddenly, yellow eyes peered out at them from the gloom ahead. "Get behind me!" Fakir shoved her back and flung an arm protectively across her. Then he drew his sword.

The beast laughed. "Foolish mortal. I cannot be harmed by a mere sword."

Fakir said nothing and held his defensive stance. But before he could blink the eyes vanished. _It moves so fast_! He hurled himself around, eyes searching wildly for where the fiend went. Before he could stop it, Ahiru was surrounded by a deep darkness. "NO! Ahiru!" He saw the eyes and brought his sword down directly between them.

He wasn't fast enough to kill it, but he definitely wounded it. The creature screamed and flung Ahiru through the air. Fakir watched as she slammed into a building across the road. He heard her head crack against the stone wall. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she crumpled to the ground. "Ahiru!" Fakir flung back around to face the shadows. "Damn you!"

There, in the center of the road, stood the vague form of a black wolf. Its yellow eyes glared. "You possess the sword of light?"

"Yes! And I will kill you for harming Ahiru!" with that, Fakir charged the monster. He brought his sword down and sliced through the beast's foreleg. The limb turned to smoke once it was severed. The creature howled in pain and fled.

"I will return, knight!"

Fakir raced to Ahiru's side. She was completely motionless. Gently, he turned her over. "Ahiru? Are you all right? Wake up!" But her head just lolled about. "Come on, don't do this. Open your eyes!" Nothing. "No, no, no, no, no. Come _on_!" He shook her a bit. Still no reaction. He felt around the back of her head and found the lump, it was a goose egg. "Crap. Ahiru? Wake up now. Come on. Open your eyes. I know you can do it." He hugged her close. "I need to know you're all right. Just wake up. Wake. Up!" Ahiru made a little whimpering sound. "Ahiru?" He stared into her face and there was no change, but then her eyelids fluttered a bit. "Ahiru!"

Ahiru's eyes slit open and she squinted up at him. "Fakir? My head hurts. What hap-" And suddenly, Fakir was kissing her.

He had been so relieved to see her blue eyes and to hear her voice that he acted impulsively without thinking. Before he knew it, his lips were pressed firmly to hers. His rational, logical side screamed at him to stop immediately, but his emotional side pondered over how right it felt. It was so nice kissing her, like they were two puzzle pieces made to fit together. Soon his head began to get fuzzy from lack of air and he pulled away.

Ahiru stared up at him wide eyed. Fakir had just kissed her! Her heart raced wildly and her head spun. She lifted her hand and pressed her fingers to her lips. They felt all tingly. It was a very nice kiss and she had liked it, but… "Why'd you kiss me, Fakir?"

He suddenly felt embarrassed about it and his face reddened. "Um, I don't know. I was just so relieved when you came to."

"Oh." Her heart sank. She didn't really know what answer she had wanted but that wasn't it. "Well, what happened? How'd I get knocked out?"

"You hit your head on the wall when the monster threw you at it."

"OH! The monster! Where is it? Did you kill it?" She tried to sit up to look around but he held her still.

"Stay still. I don't know the extent of your injury."

"I'm fine, Fakir. Its just a bump on the head." She attempted to sit up again and was prevented again. She sighed. "Fine. Then _tell_ me what happened."

"I chased it away. I cut off one of its legs and it took off."

"It just _left_?"

"Well, it was injured. But I'm sure it will be back and probably with reinforcements."

"You mean there are more of those things?"

Fakir nodded. "We'll have to call in our own reinforcements."

Ahiru looked at him curiously but he just lifted her up and carried her back towards home.

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><p>AN: So? What'd you think? Cute huh? Their first kiss! D'aw! Please read and review! Until next time!

kaerfemina


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